Where Are You Now?
by Stokley27
Summary: A BAM Short. What I think should have happened when Bianca got back to Paris. I think this is one of the best short stories I've ever wrote.


**Paris – May 21st, 2007 6:26am**

_This is morning  
That's when I spend the most time  
Thinking 'bout what I've given up_

In a darken bedroom in Paris, an alarm clock continued its incessant buzzing. It had been going off for almost 20 minutes already but the occupant of the room continued to ignore its urging to get up and start their day. If the alarm clock had feelings, it would be upset by the obvious snub at being ignored. It would also be quite distressed and hurt by the abuse it would receive in just a few moments more when it was hurled across the room, causing it to slam against the wall, its batteries falling out, it's buzzing finally coming to an end. It had met the same fate as countless other alarm clocks had in that darkened bedroom in Paris. But seeing as it didn't have feelings it was spared from realizing its own mortality and the anguish that would come as it also realized that its end was just seconds away as it flew through the air.

It wasn't that the petite woman had anything personally against alarm clocks. Truth be told, she didn't really have a firm opinion on them one way or another, other than they were quite handy at making sure one was up on time. No, her problem was the getting up part. Lately she dreaded getting up, even though her dreams were far from peaceful, they still weren't as terrible as her reality. It hadn't always been like this for the young woman.

Just months ago she loved waking up. Her wake up routine didn't involve the lonely buzzing of an alarm clock, but a gentle caress on her cheek and feather light kisses. She would be gently lulled from sleep with sweet words and more often than not, the giggling of a small child. Yes, she had loved waking up because then she could be with her two favorite people. But that was before she had given it all up. Before she had let all her insecurities and fears boil to the surface, causing her to revert to the only way she had known to deal with things when they got too heavy for her. She ran, emotionally and physically.

Sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the dark blonde looked across the room at the pieces of her recently purchased alarm clock. 'Crap, I'll have to buy another one today. That's the 3rd one this month.' She sighed; debating about whether or not getting up would be worth it. She glanced over at the empty side of her bed. A familiar and ever present longing rose more acutely within her. Even though the bed she had shared was in a different room, miles away in the same city, it was still all that the other, empty side of the bed represented to her that caused her to hate waking up. It reminded her of everything she had given up.

She laid back down and grabbed the pillow next to her, it was cool from not being unoccupied the night before. She held it up to her nose and breathed in the fragrance that still barely lingered there. The scent was now more of a memory than an actuality. She held the pillow, wishing she could be holding the person it once belonged to. She felt a tiny twinge of guilt as to how she had acquired the pillow she now coveted above most other items in her tiny apartment.

When she had learned that her love had flown back to the states, in a tailspin from the heartbreak that the she had caused, the short woman had used her keycard for their once shared penthouse to sneak in and take a few belongings. The pillow was proving to be the most comforting and also the most torturous of her pilfered possessions. She had tried to rationalize her brief foray into burglary by leaving a letter for when the rightful occupants of the penthouse came back. The thought that she had left something in place of the items she had taken did little to ease her guilt but she was well versed in the art of self denial. She tried to tell herself that her former girlfriend would never miss a pillow, or the egg timer she had taken because it had reminder her of the little quizzes her lover would give her to test the French she was learning. She loved to watch her taller girlfriend look over her paper with the red pen clenched between her perfect teeth, her eyes scrunched up in concentration while looking over the words the petite woman had written. She had taken the red pen as well.

She had also taken a few of the shirts that had been left behind, a silent testament that the penthouse's resident did plan on returning one day. She slept in a different one each night, rotating them, afraid to wash them too much for fear they would lose the scent that her body craved to inhale each day. She had even taken the laundry detergent and a half empty bottle of perfume that her past partner used. Had she been in a more introspective mood, she might have found it ironic how hard she worked to hold onto any piece of her former life after she had given it up but she was far to depressed to think that deep about it.

Many times she had thought about going back to the penthouse to return a few things, such as the coffee mug her love used every morning, even going so far as trying once, only to find her keycard no longer worked. It had been rendered as useful as nipples on a male. It had been that fateful day that it finally sunk in; she had made the biggest mistake of her life. She was no longer free to come into the home that she had made with her best friend, her lover and the most precious little girl in the world. She had given it all away and she had no idea how to get it back.

She fell back asleep clutching the pillow like a lifeline, trying to figure out a way to clean up the mess she had created.

**Paris – May 21st, 2007 7:09am**

_This is a warning  
When you start the day just to close the curtains  
You're thinking 'bout what I've given up_

The toddler quietly talked to herself in her new bed. She had been up for a little while but was content to just lay there talking to her stuffed Tigger that she had gotten from her Maggie. Since she had been back in the only other home she could remember she had been looking for the tiny, dark blonde, certain she would find her in their home, surrounded by books, waiting for her Munchie.

When they had first walked into the penthouse, she had run around excitedly, looking for her Maggie but she couldn't find her. She called out for her, only to have her Mommy pull her into her arms and hold her close. She had whispered to her that Maggie wasn't there, that Maggie wouldn't be there anymore. Miranda wasn't sure who was sadder by the news, her or her Mommy.

After a few weeks she had stopped asking again to see Maggie, it made her Mommy sad. She had told her she lived somewhere else and when the little girl had asked where her Mommy got even sadder saying she didn't know where her Maggie was. Every since that day her Mommy had stopped getting her up in the morning, her new Nanny, Faye, did that now. Most days she wouldn't see her Mommy until after her nap, right before lunch. Miranda wished she was bigger, she would go find her lost Maggie and bring her home then her and her Mommy wouldn't be so sad.

Down the hall, a beautiful woman laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling. The sun was illuminating the empty side of the bed next to her, warming the blankets and pillow up. She hated that she would roll over every morning, feeling that warmth and for just that second between consciousness and sleep she thought that Maggie had just gotten out of the bed. For those few heartbeats she listened for the sound of her lover in the bathroom. The flushing of the toilet, the running of the water as she brushed her teeth or the sound of the shower.

For over a year they'd had a routine down. Maggie would get up at dawn and go running. Then she would come home, shower, climb back into bed and cuddle for another hour before Bianca would have to get up. I might have seemed silly to some, that she would go back to bed after running but she had told her younger lover that she looked forward to that hour or so in the morning. When she was exhausted and spent from pushing herself to the limits only to be able to come home and feel the comforting embrace of her girlfriend engulfing her. She had told Bianca it was the best hour of sleep she had everyday.

As had become part of her new routine, Bianca felt the lose of her girlfriend the moment she realized that Maggie wasn't just in the bathroom or out on her run. She didn't know where Maggie was. She threw the covers to the side and stormed over to the windows, pulling the curtains closed against the sun. She then went back to bed and stared at the ceiling. She heard Miranda talking to herself in her bedroom through the monitor. She briefly thought about getting up and getting her daughter. Before she could make up her mind, she heard Faye in the little girl's room, talking to the toddler. It sound of another female's voice in her daughter's room still felt foreign and strange to Bianca. The only other voice she had heard over the monitor had been Maggie's. Bianca was keenly aware of the lack of enthusiasm in her daughter's voice, as well, as she said good morning to her nanny, climbing out of her toddler bed to get ready for the day.

The noise over the monitor in the mornings use to be so much more excited and playful. Whenever Maggie had gotten Miranda out of her crib there was always shrieks of laughter and Maggie's constant stream of chatter as she talked to the smallest resident of their home. She would talk to Mimo about what they would do that day, what the little girl wanted to wear, asked her how she had slept, then she would go over the choices they had for breakfast, all the while tickling, hugging and kissing the baby. Mornings use to be happy occasions in the penthouse, now they were quiet and subdued. Not for the first time Bianca wondered if she had made a mistake coming back to the same home they use to share.

Rolling over, she glared at the empty side of the bed, willing Maggie to be there so that she could answer the questions the brunette had. No matter how she tried to look at it, Bianca couldn't come up with one good reason why Maggie would have cheated on her and then left. Bianca had been deeply hurt when she found out but it was the fact that Maggie was adamant at the time that there was nothing left to work out… that had crushed Bianca the most. That was what had lead her to be on the Cambias jet hours later, to run home to Mommy. She didn't understand why Maggie would want to give up their life together. She was also upset with herself for not allowing Maggie to explain when she had finally come to Pine Valley looking for her, wanting to make it right.

Bianca knew that it wasn't all Maggie's fault, even though the older woman tried to take all the blame. Bianca had been doing a lot of thinking since being back in Paris. Since she had realized that whatever she had been feeling for Zoë was really just a distraction for her true feelings. With a sigh, she got out of bed and hit play on the CD player in her bedroom, turning it up so she could listen to the CD while she was getting ready for her day.

In the bathroom she looked once again for her perfume. She was sure she had a bottle here when she left, but she had been looking for it for weeks and still couldn't find it. 'Come to think of it, I haven't seen my mug or my PVU hoodie either.' Bianca pondered these facts, wonder what could have happened to them. She was usually careful with her belongings; she wasn't one to carelessly lose her things. The thought briefly entered her mind that maybe Maggie had them, but she quickly dismissed the thought, not finding any reason why her ex-girlfriend would have any use for them.

**Paris – March 17th, 2007 3:17am**

_Where are you now?  
As I'm swimming through the stereo  
I'm writing you a symphony of sound  
Where are you now?  
As I rearrange the songs again  
This mix could burn a hole in anyone  
But it was you I was thinking of_

Maggie sat at her computer, concentrating harder than she ever had, even on her homework. This was far more important than homework. She sat back to listen to another song, putting her hands of the pockets of the PVU hoodie she wore. She had been up all night working on this CD. It had just started as something for her to listen to in the car but as she browsed her songs, she realized how many of them reminded her of the one she loved and lost.

As she listened to the different tracks on her laptop, they all seemed to talk to her and express how she was feeling better than she ever could. That's when she had gotten the idea to make a CD for Bianca. A CD to say everything she couldn't say, a CD that would explain how lost she felt but also how sorry she was, how much she still loved the chocolate eyed woman. A musical accompaniment to the thoughts, feelings and events that had brought them both to this place. She painstakingly listened to every word of every song, making sure it conveyed exactly what she couldn't. Every detail was thought out, from the placement to make sure it flowed along with the progression of her feelings to every note, until it became a direct plea from her very soul.

Maggie had no idea where Bianca was, in Pine Valley or back in Paris. She had read somewhere that Zoe was going to London and that somehow Bianca and her were romantically linked but there wasn't indication in the article as to what Bianca's plans might be. Maggie wasn't sure who she could call in Pine Valley to find out without making her intentions obvious. She couldn't call anyone in Bianca's family considering she was one of their least favorite people. She briefly thought about calling Ryan but the thought of dealing with anyone that was related to Jonathan made her stomach turn. Anna would have helped her but she hadn't been able to get in touch with the Brit since she had come back. The last time she had talked to Anna, she had told her that's she was going back to work and wouldn't be reachable for a couple months. The thought of not even having Anna in her life right now made her already broken heart hurt just a little more. Aiden would have been an obvious choice if she had his number but somehow she had lost it with all the moving she had done in the last 6 months.

She leaned back in her chair, letting the music wash over her. She reached over and took a drink from Bianca's favorite coffee mug, it was one of those novelty mugs that said, 'Don't Hate me Because I'm Beautiful' on the front then on the back it said 'Hate me because my Girlfriend is.' Maggie had bought it for her at a novelty shop near campus one day. It was meant to be a joke, but Bianca had loved it, insisting on using it every morning. Maggie was sure her ex-girlfriend wouldn't want to be using it anymore.

She tried to tell herself that Bianca would never miss it, ignoring the voice in her head that reminded her that this was the same woman who had noticed when Maggie moved everything in the china cabinet exactly one half centimeter to the left as a prank. Bianca had walked into the dining room that night and stopped in her tracks, her eyes zeroing in on the china cabinet, a pensive expression on her face. She had then turned her gaze on her girlfriend who was innocently feeding the baby while trying not to bust out laughing. Her lover's eyes had narrowed, scrutinizing the china cabinet once more. She slowly walked over to it, opening the door, she moved a few pieces back to their original positions. After moving the 4th plate she turned to her girlfriend, the realization dawning on her that it wasn't just an error of housekeeping that a few pieces had been moved, but every one of them. The older woman couldn't contain her laughter any longer; she started laughing so hard she fell off her chair. To this day it still amazed her how Bianca had noticed right away, she had thought it would at least take a day or two. She wasn't laughing so much later when Bianca made her finish moving everything back exactly as it had been.

Maggie glanced at her watch, realizing it was after 3 in the morning. She had been working on her mix for over 10 hours and it still wasn't exactly what she wanted. She rearranged a few tracks trying to get the proper build up. Her eyes burned from staring at the screen but she refused to stop, she was almost done, she could feel it. On the desk next to her sat her Microbiology book, looking neglected, unfinished homework and forgotten notes pushed off to the side to make room for the take out cartons of Chinese the student had ordered earlier in the night. Her backpack laid on a rumpled heap next to the chair, the report she had planned on starting that night forgotten in the pursuit of redemption and forgiveness.

Finally as the sun was just breaking over the horizon, Maggie sat back in complete satisfaction, convinced that once Bianca heard this CD, she would at the very least give her a chance to explain her side, but at the most realize how much Maggie still and always would lover her. Listening to the CD one more time, Maggie debated writing a letter to go along with the CD or if she should just let it stand on its own. Bianca was more than smart enough to get it, she knew, but by writing she would be able to explain her side more. She ran her hand through her hair, biting her lower lip, thinking. 'Maybe a short letter, nothing too much…' Then listening to one of the carefully picked out tracks, inspiration struck, Maggie grabbed a dog-eared note book and got busy pouring out her heart.

**Paris – May 4th, 2007 1:29 pm  
**

_I read your letter  
The one you left when you broke into my house  
Retracing every step you made  
And you said you meant it  
And there's a piece of me in every single  
Second of every single day  
But if it's true then tell me how it got this way_

Bianca had been back in Paris for over a week. When she and Miranda had first walked into the penthouse, her senses were assaulted with memories of Maggie. Miranda had squirmed out of her arms as soon as she had opened the door and ran excitedly through the rooms. Being back in the penthouse seemed to transport Bianca back in time, if she closed her eyes she could smell dinner in the kitchen cooking, while Maggie danced around in there, singing with Miranda. She could clearly hear the shorter girl's voice as she sang along with one of her various mix CD's she was always making. Bianca allowed her self to get lost in the memory for a couple minutes before opening her eyes and dealing with the harsh reality that now faced her.

In the giant bowl next to the door was Maggie's keys for the parking garage and the rooftop, Bianca stared at them for a moment as her eyes wandered around the large family room. On the coffee table sat one of Maggie's medical journals. Their family pictures were still on the mantel, except one that she assumed Maggie must have taken. Miranda came running through the family room towards the kitchen; she seemed to be on a mission. It took Bianca a few minutes to realize what her daughter was doing and the realization broke her heart. Bianca headed towards the kitchen to get her daughter. The little girl was coming out of the kitchen, a crestfallen look on her angelic little face.

"Maggie? Maggs?!" She half heartedly yelled, it was enough to make Bianca's eyes tear up and once again curse her wayward lover for not only breaking her heart but her sweet baby girl's as well.

Bianca knelt down, taking the small child into her arms. She brushed her soft silky hair off her forehead and placed a small kiss there. "Maggie's not here, Mimo, sweetie." She held her daughter tight to her chest while whispering the words.

"Where's Mags, Mommy? When's she gonna be heres?" The little girl whispered into her mother's chest. Tears were pooling in both their dark eyes.

"Oh, Sweetie, remember when Mommy told you Maggie had to go away? She's still gone, sweetie, she's not coming back." Bianca tried to steady her voice, not wanting to upset her daughter even more than the tiny tot already was. She ran her hand along her daughters back, trying to comfort them both.

"Don't she love me anymowe Mommy? Did she forgets about me?" The idea that her Maggie might have forgotten her because she was gone for so long filled Miranda with fear.

"No, no no, Sweetheart, Maggie loves you so much. Don't ever think Maggie doesn't love you because she loves you more than all the stars in the sky. She will always love you, she just had to go away for awhile but maybe one day you can see her again, ok, my Baby?" Tears fell down Bianca's cheeks, making her daughters hair damp.

"I loves her more than all the water in the ocean." Miranda said, finishing the sweet sentiment that her and Maggie use to say to each other before bed every night. "Where is she Mommy? Can we go see her now?" Miranda looked up at her mother, her eyes pleading.

"I don't know where Maggie is, baby, I-I don't know…" Bianca's hold on her emotions had finally slipped as she cried, thinking she had no idea where the love of her life was at the moment. For Miranda's sake she tried to contain her tears but it was no use. Mother and daughter had sat on the floor, holding each other and crying for the woman they missed more than anything.

"Mommy?" Bianca was shaken out of her daze, looking down at her daughter. She still couldn't get over the pain they had both felt just the week before.

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Can I sleep in my big girl bed alone tonight?" Bianca forced a smile. She had gotten Miranda a real bed that had been delivered before they had returned. Bianca had slept with Miranda every night since the first night. She couldn't bring herself to sleep in the bed she use to share with Maggie, not yet, but it looked like she would have to face that demon sooner than she had thought. Her very independent baby girl was getting tired of sharing her blankets with her mother every night.

"Of course, if that's what you want? Are you sure?" Bianca felt bad for trying to persuade her 3 year old that she still needed her mommy. As she continued to get Miranda ready for bed, she tried not to show that it was really her that wasn't ready to sleep alone.

"I'm sure, I gots my Dora nightlight." Miranda gave her mother a look that said she was insulted that she would even consider she couldn't handle sleeping on her own. Bianca slipped Miranda's PJ top over the little girls head. It was purple with Dora on the front. Her daughter had become Dora obsessed since Kendall had babysat her one day. Kendall had rented a few Children's DVD's but the only one Miranda had wanted to watch was Dora, all day.

"Ok, Baby, tonight Mommy will sleep in her own bed." Bianca smoothed down the toddlers hair. She grabbed her daughter's Elmo toothbrush and brushed the preschooler's teeth. They went through the rest of their nightly bedtime ritual. Only this time after saying her prayers and being read her bedtime story, Bianca kissed her on the cheek and left the room.

She stood outside of the bedroom she used to share with the only person she could honestly say she had loved completely. She'd been home a week but had only been in the room to get her clothes and change. She had taken to using the bathroom down the hall, unable to look at the shower she had happily spent many hours in with the petite blonde.

"Ok, you can do this, Montgomery, get a grip, it's just a bedroom. It's not a big deal, you've been sleeping alone for months now. You should be a pro at this, just open the door and walk in, put on your PJ's and get ready for bed." The tall graceful woman tried to give herself a pep talk as she opened the door and headed straight for the dresser. Ignoring the two empty drawers on the bottom of the large oak dresser, she quickly grabbed a pair of PJ bottoms and a t-shirt.

With items in hand she rushed into the bathroom. Trying to avoid looking at the shower, Bianca failed to notice the wastebasket next to the sink counter. With a very ungraceful stumble she ended up falling down, knocking her elbow on the toilet. She laid there, splayed out on the floor of the bathroom for a minute, staring at the shower. At that moment she felt as if fate was taunting her. She slowly got up and rubbed her sore elbow, her shoulder hurt as well from landing on it. "Well that worked out swell." She said to the image in the mirror, grateful for the first time since being back that Maggie wasn't there. The shorter girl would have never let her hear the end of it.

Stepping out of the bathroom, ready for bed, Bianca stared at the bed. She cocked her head, giving it a thorough once over. 'Wasn't there 6 pillows?' She was too busy contemplating the missing pillow that she didn't even have the chance to think about the fact that's she was about to get into bed for the first time in Paris without Maggie.

She pulled back the cover and started arranging the pillows, a hard lump under one of her pillows stopped her motions. She lifted the pillow and saw a large manila envelope. On the front was written in large block letters 'This is a story…' Bianca's heart skipped a beat, she knew that handwriting anywhere. With her hands shaking she opened the envelope, she pulled out a letter wrapped around a CD. The CD had a printed cover proclaiming it to be Maggie's Mixed Up, Messed Up, Make Up Mix (otherwise known as the story of BAM). There was a post it note on the cover that said, 'play me as you read'. Her hands still shaking, Bianca opened the letter. Her breath catching at the all too familiar handwriting, she blinked a few times, gently running her fingers along the handwritten words, not reading them yet, making sure it was real.

_Dear Bianca,_

_Welcome back, knowing you like I do, you're probably reading this without playing the CD. Could you please just put it in and play it. I wrote this letter while listening to it, I'm not as good as you are about expressing my feeling, and I'm hoping the music will say what I can't put into words. _

Despite her best efforts, Bianca smiled at how well Maggie did know her. Reluctantly, she set the letter down and placed the CD into the stereo in her room. The gentle sound of the guitar chords immediately caused her to go back to a time when Maggie had first played that song for her. It was Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

_Thank you. I first admitted to myself that I was in love with you that summer you were pregnant with the most precious little girl in the world. I had never felt as much for another person as I did and still do for you, it terrified me. I know in the past I've caused you pain and I'm sorry. And I'll always be sorry 'till the day I die. And I hate this pen I'm holding because I should be holding you. I hate this paper under my hand because it isn't you. I even hate this letter because it's not the whole truth. Because the whole truth is so much more than a letter can even say. My love, I meant every word I said, you are my first love, my only love, my everything but you are so much more than that to me as well. You're a part of every single second of every single day. _

_I let fear, insecurities and self doubts sabotage the only real thing I've ever had in my life because I was afraid that one day you would look at me and know that I wasn't good enough for someone as incredible as you. You would see that I was a fake. You would see the real me, a poor white trash kid from Green Bay who's mother was an alcoholic and who's father left because he couldn't stand the sight of us. I couldn't bare the thought that one day it would all be over, it terrified me that I couldn't live without you in my life. It got to the point were I couldn't stand what I saw as the inevitable, that one day you would leave me, so instead of waiting for it, I left you. I made the biggest mistake of my life. I tried to tell myself that you would be better off without me in your life, that I was only a burden, but that only lasted so long. I finally had to stop running from my feelings and realize, I was completely selfish in what I did. I did it because I didn't want to live in constant fear of you leaving me and the life we had being over. It was cowardly and inexcusable. _

_If I could take it back I would, hurting you and Miranda will forever be my greatest regret. If you want to hate me, go ahead. If you want to burn this letter, do it. You could burn the whole world down; you could tell me to go to hell. I'd go, if you wanted me to. I'd do anything for you, all you have to do is ask because I love you, Bianca. _

_I'm no longer scared, I'm no longer terrified. I thought I didn't deserve happiness, in my life, I had learned that it was never real or never lasted but you made me realize that I do, we all do. I never knew love until you and because it was foreign to me, I ran from it for years until I couldn't run anymore, my love for you outweighed my fear. Then when you wanted to make it permanent by getting married, I freaked out, it brought back all my insecurities about not being able to give you what you deserve. _

_It was stupid and I know I don't have the right to ask for your forgiveness but I want our life back, I want to grow old with you and watch Miranda grow up into the amazing woman I know she will be. I know what I want, no hesitations or doubts. I want to love you and spend the rest of my life making up for my stupid mistakes. I want to wake up holding you every morning, I want to fall asleep in your arms after making love all night and I want to spend every moment in-between with you._

_Bianca, my love, you are the most incredible, amazing, gentle, caring, kind hearted woman I have ever met. Knowing you, being with you, loving you has changed me for the better, so if this is truly good-bye., than please know that I am a much better person for having you in my life. You have touched a part of me that no one will ever touch and changed me in ways I never thought possible. Your love saved me._

_All My Love,_

_Maggie_

Bianca set the letter down, unable to stop the tears that were running down her face. The CD continued to play, mirroring Maggie's feeling from the letter. She couldn't understand if Maggie meant what she said, what her CD said, how they had gotten to the where they were now. How they had fallen apart, how Maggie had been so troubled and she hadn't seen the fears and insecurities in the woman she loved. It was at that moment Bianca knew, she had to find Maggie, it was time to bring Maggie home.

**Paris – May 12th, 2007 6:38pm**

_And I can't get to you  
I can't get to you  
I can't get to you (you, you)_

"What do you mean you still have no news?" Bianca paced the plush cream carpet of her office. She was waving her hands around in aggravation with the person she was currently yelling at through her Bluetooth headset. "How does an American medical student just disappear? It's not like Paris is crawling with them…" She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Oh really, that many? Who'd have known Paris was such a hotspot for American Med students…" Looking out her large picture glass windows over the city, Bianca wondered for the millionth time where Maggie was. "Look, I don't pay you for excuses, I pay you for results. I want her found and I want her found NOW!" She pushed the button on the side of her ear piece disconnecting the call. Her inner Kane wasn't satisfied with just pushing a button to express her frustration so she picked up her office phone and slammed it back down for good measure.

Crossing back over to her large cherry wood desk, Bianca threw herself into her posh office chair with a hmmpf. She'd been looking for Maggie for a week now and still there was no lead on the petite woman. It was like she had disappeared. The head of Cambias security had been personally assigned the task of finding her and so far all he could come up with was she had transferred schools when she had gotten back to Paris. He wasn't able to get her transfer records. It seemed as if someone was working against them in the search for Mary Margaret Stone. He had just told her that he had never come up against such a brick wall when trying to find someone before.

The sun was starting to set, the city was lighting up as twilight took over. Bianca continued to stare out, trying to think if there had been anywhere she hadn't looked already that Maggie might be at. She was no investigator, but even she knew that there was something more going on, it shouldn't be taking this long to find Maggie. Bianca twirled a pen between her fingers, going over everything she knew so far, which wasn't much.

She glanced at the folder in front of her. So far they knew that Maggie had transferred school due to the fact she had left in the middle of the term to come to Pine Valley. She had moved out of the last address Bianca had for her. According to the landlord she had only stayed there for a month before moving again leaving no forwarding address, which was back in March. She had a PO Box, which was the other address she had given to Bianca in her last email but after paying a postal employee off, it looked as if she hadn't checked it in weeks. Her email address no longer worked, it had been her school one. There was no Maggie Stone or any other variation of her name listed with the phone company. Everything was turning into a dead end. Bianca tossed the pen on her desk with a thud. Sighing, she called her driver to tell him she was ready to go home. She'd been at work longer than she meant and she still wanted to spend time with her daughter before bedtime.

Walking through the door of the penthouse, Bianca heard her daughter's laughter coming from the family room. It had been awhile since she had heard her daughter really laugh, hearing that sound brought a smile to her face. She walked into the family room, Miranda was on the floor watching a Dora DVD Bianca had bought for her a few days before.

"Hello, my sweetness." The little girl squealed with delight and ran to her mother's open arms. She hugged her close, smelling the clean baby scent she still had.

"Mommy!" The little girl smiled her big toothy grin. "Guess what? I saws Maggie today!" Bianca's eyes opened wide, showing her shock at her daughter's proclamation.

"Where did you see Maggie, Sweetie?" Bianca's heart thumped loud with optimism, not fully believing her daughter had seen the very woman she had been spending countless resources on trying to find.

"At the park! Faye tooks me and Maggie was there! She talked to me, she told me to be a good girl for you and she loves me." The joy written all over Miranda's face told Bianca that it was true, she had not only seen but talked to Maggie.

Bianca looked over at the nanny who had a fearful expression on her face. She thought for sure she was going to get into trouble for letting Miranda talk to the woman at the park. She had tried to get Miranda away but the little girl had seen the woman on a bench by the pond and took off towards her. Before she knew what was happening the woman had jumped up, knocking her books to the ground and picked the child up in a fierce bear hug. The frightened nanny had ran over there and threatened to call the police if the woman didn't unhand her charge but Miranda kept going on about how it was her Maggie.

Faye had heard that name numerous times; sometimes she swore that it was all the child talked about, how great her Maggie was. Realizing that the woman who was hugging the small girl, with tears in her eyes was the one and only Maggie, she allowed Miranda to spend sometime with the short woman. Of course, she was around them the entire time. They had all stayed at the park together for an hour before it was time for Miranda to go home to take her afternoon nap. Faye had found the young med student to be pleasant company, though she did have an air of sadness around her hovering like a dark cloud on a sunny day.

"I'm so sorry Ms. Montgomery, we were at the park and Miranda ran up to her faster than I could catch her." The nanny was starting to regret her decision on allowing Miranda to spend time with the other woman.

"No, no, it's okay, Faye, I've actually been trying to get a hold of her. Did she happen to leave a number or anything?" Bianca felt her hopes rising, Maggie was still around, Maggie had seen Miranda, Maggie was still in Paris!

"No, I'm sorry, Ms. Montgomery, she didn't give me a number or anything. She just played with Miranda for about an hour. They fed the ducks, she pushed her on the swings, they had some peanuts and then I had to bring Miranda home for her nap." The portly woman looked apologetically at her employer.

"Did she mention where she was staying, what University she was going to?" Bianca didn't mean to interrogate the poor woman but she was so close yet had nothing to go on at this point.

Faye looked up, trying to recall every bit of conversation she's had with the young woman. "She kept looking around, as if watching out for someone or something. She briefly mentioned that she had been bothered by reports continuously when it was made known you and Miranda were coming back to Paris."

'Of course,' Bianca thought to herself as it all clicked into place, her return to Paris, not to mention her connection to Zoe had been big tabloids fodder for over a month. It made sense why Maggie would be keeping her whereabouts so hidden. 'It must have crushed her to learn about it that way and I'm sure those slimy reports couldn't wait to get the ex-girlfriends point of view. I'm so sorry I didn't give you a heads up, Maggie.'

Noticing the tall woman's far away look Faye wondered if she had said something to upset the dark haired woman. "Ma'am, are you ok?"

"Huh, yeah, Faye, I'm fine. Did she say anything else? Anything at all?" Bianca looked at the other woman, pleading with her eyes for the nanny to remember any little detail that might help her find Maggie.

"Not really, she had mentioned that she was surprised she'd never seen us at that park before, but I told her that was because I usually took Miranda to a different one closer, but Miranda wanted to see the ducks today." That small bit of information was enough to make Bianca break out into a huge goofy grin. She didn't care if she had to live at that park, she would do whatever it took to find Maggie.

"Thank you so much, Faye, you have no idea how much help you've been and can you bring Miranda to that park for now on please? And if you happen to run into Ms. Stone again, could you please tell her she's welcome to come here at anytime?" For the first time in months, Bianca felt a sense of peace start to settle around her, she was so close to bringing her family back together, she knew it.

**Paris – May 12th, 2007 8:32pm**

_Where are you now?  
As I'm swimming through the stereo  
I'm writing you a symphony of sound  
Where are you now?  
As I rearrange the songs again  
This mix could burn a hole in anyone  
But it was you I was thinking of_

The Butchies, _Send Me You_ blared through the headphones as Maggie walked down the boulevard, her feet barely touching the pavement below her. She adjusted the heavy backpack on her shoulder, an unconscious movement that only those who have had to carry half their weight in texts books ever truly perfect. She's seen her Munchie, she'd gotten the chance to hug, hold, talk and kiss her sweet precious little girl. Just the thought filled Maggie's heart unlike anything else had in months. It was a dream she'd had for months and finally she'd be able to live it. She was a little sad at how much the little girl had grown without her being there, she'd missed so much. She promised herself that she wouldn't miss anything more.

'They've been back for weeks and Bianca hasn't even tried to get in touch with me. She's probably too busy with her new girlfriend? Boyfriend?' Just the thought of that line backer in a dress touching Bianca, being around Miranda, watching Miranda grow, filled Maggie with anger. 'Regardless, whether Bianca wants to deal with me or not, Miranda does and I won't give up on that little girl. I'm going to have to talk to Bianca, work out a way to spend time with my Munchie.' She thought back to her precious hour at the park with the precocious little girl. She had held onto Maggie for so long, as had Maggie, both afraid that the other would disappear right before their eyes.

The toddler told her how she and her mommy missed their Maggie something fierce. While Maggie believed the sweet baby girl in her arms did indeed miss her, she wasn't quite sure that her mother shared the same sentiment. She was amazed at how much the preschooler was talking and how well. She always knew Miranda was advanced for her age, though that was a thought she was sure every parent felt about their child, except for Munchie it was true.

She had told Maggie all about her cousin Spike, her new friend Kathie, the preschool she went to 3 times a week at her mommy's work, and Dora, boy did she ever talk about Dora. Maggie could have just sat there all day and listened to her chatter away. The only time she felt sadness was when the little light brown haired girl had looked at her with her big brown eyes and asked her why she had to leave. Maggie had felt a lump in her throat the size of Texas at such a heartfelt question.

She had told the little girl that she needed to figure some things out but that she never wanted to leave her, that she had never stopped loving her. Miranda's reply had shocked and amazed Maggie when she told her that her mommy had told her the same thing. Maggie should have known that Bianca would never bad mouth her to her daughter but hearing it seemed to relieve some deep seeded fears she hadn't realized where there. Then Miranda had asked her the million dollar question.

"Have you fiwured it all out? Are you coming home now?" The question held such hope, such longing that Maggie could only take the little girl in her arms and hold her tight. She didn't want to lie to her so she said the only thing she could and hoped Miranda would understand.

"Not yet, Munchie, but I do know I love you and your Mommy very very very much. I hope I can come home soon, but even if I don't, I will still see you, ok?" Maggie swallowed the lump, willing her tears not to fall. Her heart was breaking at the thought of never being able to come home again to this lovable little girl and her mother, the owners of her heart and soul.

Her answered seemed to satisfy the younger Montgomery, she gave Maggie a long look, which seemed older than her years and then grabbed Maggie's hand to drag her over to the swings. She chatted with the nanny, Faye, while she pushed Miranda on the swings. Trying to gently pump her for information on what Bianca was up to. She tried not to let the fact that Faye never heard Bianca or Miranda mention Zoë/Zarf/Freddie, giver her false hope. They had been home for weeks and Maggie hadn't heard form Bianca once.

Walking into her apartment, Maggie tossed her backpack on the couch. She hit play on her computer media player, the songs she had put on the CD for Bianca still cued up, even after over a month. Silversun Pickups' Lazy Eye filled the small space. She kicked off her shoes and left them next to the desk. She walked into the kitchen area and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. The cool water ran down her slender throat, quenching her anger. She let the events of the day replay over and over in her mind. Setting down the empty water bottle, Maggie's eyes held a firm resolve. Tomorrow she would go to Cambias and talk to Bianca or get kicked out trying. She wasn't going to miss any more time with the little girl she loved like a daughter.

**Paris – May 13th, 2007 7:21 am**

_And where are you now?_

_And where are you now?_

The alarm clock blared, it was the loudest one the store sold and yet the figure burrowed under the covers still managed to ignore it. An arm shot out from under the blankets, smashing the snooze button. Faint mumbling could be heard and then soft half snores until nine minutes later the alarm clock performed the duty it was built for. As if a jolt of electricity had hit the bed, the figure sat upright, throwing off the blankets. She quickly turned off the alarm, this one seemed to stand a chance of lasting longer than her previous one had.

One thought and one thought only had propelled Maggie from her bed, today was the day she was going to talk to Bianca and get herself back into at least Miranda's life again. Maggie jumped into the shower, surprised to hear herself humming. She hadn't hummed in the morning since she had lived in the penthouse. Soon her humming turned into full blown singing along with the music playing on her laptop.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. But if you'll wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me, I promise, I promise you I will." Maggie continued to sing along with the song as she got dressed and popped a bagel in the toaster. She was too caught up in the song to notice she had been dancing around her apartment while getting ready. She hadn't felt this good in months; it was as if the sun had finally broken through after months of darkness.

She had two classes in the morning to attend then she would go over to the Cambias building around lunch, sure that she would find Bianca there and not in some meeting. Bianca always tried to keep her lunches free so she could relax before her grueling round of meetings started up in the afternoons. Grabbing her laptop and putting it in her backpack, she put her ear buds in and headed out the door.

**Paris – May 13th, 2007 11:48am**

_And where are you now?_

_And where are you now?_

Bianca's morning had been hectic; her obvious distraction hadn't helped to make matters better so she decided to leave for lunch early. She was going to head over to the park Faye and Miranda had seen Maggie at just the day before. She knew it might be a long shot to catch the blonde at the park during lunch, but she had to try. Waving goodbye to her assistant Bianca headed out. She wasn't sure when she would be back, having asked her assistant to clear her schedule for the remainder of the afternoon. She didn't tell anyone where she was going, sure that the Board of Directors wouldn't understand why she was sitting in the park all afternoon instead of being on the conference call that afternoon about the first quarter results from the Amsterdam branch.

Sitting on the bench by the pond, Bianca watched as children ran around, enjoying the fresh spring air after being cooped up for the winter. It was warm for the time of year, Bianca was wearing just her peach silk blouse and smart pinstriped dress slacks. She had her blazer sitting on the bench beside her. Every time anyone that even looked remotely like Maggie came into view, Bianca's hopes soared, it wasn't until she almost ran up to a teenage boy in a baseball cap, with a large backpack slung over his shoulder that Bianca realized she was acting a bit insane. 'Get a grip, you will know her when you see her, lie you could ever not instantly recognize her, the way she moves…' Bianca's mind wandered to all the different ways she intimately knew how Maggie's body could move.

It had been 3 hours since she had started her vigil for Maggie at the park. In that time, Bianca had walked around the park, grabbed a personal pizza from a vendor who had a little truck he made them out of, fed the ducks twice and constantly kept an eye for the petite blonde. The longer she waited the more her hoped fell, but she refused to leave yet, she kept telling herself just a little longer, just a few more minutes and Maggie would show up.

**Paris – May 13th, 2007 1:18 pm**

_And where are you now?_

_And where are you now?_

Maggie was running late, if ever there was a day not to run late, today was it but life had other plans. Her last lecture had gone longer than it should have and then she had gotten stopped by another student outside of class who wanted to use her notes for last week's lecture. She had just tossed her whole notebook at the startled student, telling him to give it back to her next class. Running at full speed, Maggie made it to the bus stop just in time to see the bus she needed pull away. Frustrated at having to wait another half hour until the next one, Maggie kicked the bench, which turned out to be yet another one of her stupid mistakes. She hopped around for a few minutes until the stinging in her big toe subsided. Resigned to having to wait for the next bus, she pulled out her ear buds, getting caught up in Dashboard Confessional's Vindicated. As much as she wished she didn't, she could relate to this song almost too well, which is why it had been on the CD for Bianca. A CD she wondered if the younger woman had even bothered to listen to.

Finally the bus pulled up, Maggie got on, taking a seat as close to the door as possible. She fidgeted the 30 minutes it took to get to the stop by Cambias. She hoped that she would be able to catch Bianca, if not she planned on waiting there until the taller woman left for the night. A part of her warned her that she would be bordering on stalker but she didn't care, seeing Miranda yesterday had been the swift kick in the ass she had needed.

With an air of confidence she didn't' entirely feel Maggie tried to walk through the security gates that lead to the elevators and the main Cambias building. The little gate didn't move, as she no longer had a keycard that worked.

"M'excuser, Madame?" An elderly security asked, directing the young woman away from the gate.

"Me pardonnez-vous, parlez-vous anglais?" Maggie asked the man, putting on her best innocent look.

"Yes, all employees here do." He replied in a thick accent. He gave her a scrutinizing look. She appeared harmless enough but these days you could be never be to careful.

"Thank God," She gave him another big smile, "I'm here to see Ms. Montgomery." She gave him a slightly flirty smile, all but batting her eyes at him. "Do you have an appointment?" The guard looked down at the list of people that were expected visitors.

Maggie leaned against the counter, flashing him another million dollar smile, puffing her chest out a bit to give him a view of her low cut tank top. He was the only obstacle between her and Bianca at the this moment, she was pulling out all the big guns. "Um, no, Gustav," she read off his name tag. "but if you can give her assistant a call I'm sure she'll meet with me." She gave him her famous puppy dog eyes.

Even though he was feeling a bit flattered by the attention from the young attractive woman, Gustav loved his job even more. "I'm sorry, miss, why don't you call her office and make an appointment? Ms. Montgomery is not to be disturbed in the afternoons." He gave her a gentle smile.

"I would but I want this to be a surprise. I'm an old friend of Ms. Montgomery's, she's not expecting me and if I called and made an appointment, that would kind of ruin the surprise, Gustav, I'm sure you understand." This time she did bat her eyes, as well as lick her pink lips.

"I'm sorry, I understand you wanting to surprise your friend but there is no other way, Miss… what was your name?" He grabbed a pen so that he could make a note of this intriguing girl trying to gain access to the CEO.

"Never mind, I'll just catch her at home." With a pout, Maggie turned on her heel and stomped out of the building. As soon as she was out of sight of the security guard, Maggie turned the corner of the building. She knew that she would be able to slip in by one of the side doors. There were always people standing outside by the smoking area on the side of the building. She would just wait until someone used their card to go back in and she would follow them.

It only took a few minutes before Maggie was able to follow a balding middle aged man into the building; he even held the door open for her. She marveled at how easy it was and made a note to let Bianca know. What good was all that security if anyone could just slip in from one of the side doors? Maggie tried to not shudder at the thought of how vulnerable the woman she loved was.

'Thank God I'm not some crazy psycho here to go postal or something.' She thought as she stood on the elevator, realizing she didn't have a keycard that allowed the elevator access to the top floor. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair; would it ever be easy for her? Finally she just decided to ride the elevator and hope that someone would eventually get on that was going to the top floor. Lady luck seemed to be finally shining on her as a mailroom employee got on the elevator 20 minutes later. He had a stack of mail that was addressed to Mr. Rolando, a member of the board, whose office was on the same floor as Bianca's.

She smiled at the young man, who looked to be a college student himself, probably an intern she thought. He stepped back so Maggie could exit the elevator. Maggie made an exaggerated motion of hitting her forehead, looking at him. In French, she said she had forgotten a file for Ms. Montgomery on the top floor and needed to go back up there, she continued the cover story by saying she was interning for Ms. Montgomery's assistant, Isabelle, hoping the woman was still Bianca's assistant. He gave her a sympathetic smile, swiped his keycard and hit the top floor. He told her his name was Luc, he was interning for the marketing department VP but they had stuck him in the mailroom that day because they were short staffed. He was cute, with black wavy hair and light green eyes that held humor in them. He tried to ask her out for coffee one day as they made their way up the floors. Inside she groaned, feeling bad for deceiving the young man. She decided to let him down easy by saying she was already involved with someone. He shrugged, as the doors opened to on their floor, saying he would see her around. He headed off in the opposite direction of Bianca's office.

Maggie took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the emotional showdown she was sure she was going to have to have with Bianca in just a few minutes. She reminded herself why she was doing this with every step that brought her closer to Bianca's office. 'This is for Miranda, so Miranda doesn't have to grow up thinking I left her.' She repeated the words over and over in her head like a mantra, steeling herself for what was to come. The executive floor was oddly quiet compared to the noise and activity on all the other floors. It had the feel of an old library, Maggie felt suddenly subconscious, sure at any second she would be tackled by security for sticking out like a sore thumb. Before she knew it she found herself in front of Bianca's office. Her assistant's desk was vacant, taking that as a good sign, she went straight to Bianca's door and knocked. After a minute when there was no answer she opened the door, peeking her head in she saw that the office was empty.

She walked the rest of the way in, quietly shutting the door behind her. The office was just as she had last seen it, the same large cherry wood desk occupied a commanding space in front of the picture windows, with the city being a breathtaking backdrop. The worn leather couch were Bianca and her had spent many an interesting lunch time was still sitting off to the side with the mini bar and sink behind it. She noticed where Miranda's playpen had once stood now stood a little playhouse with the shelves behind it filled with toys. Maggie walked around the desk and sat in the chair, she spun it around, again remembering the few times she had convinced Bianca to let her help the taller girl relieve some stress in that very same chair.

Her eyes fell on the pictures on Bianca's desk. There was one of Bianca holding Miranda, Her mother, Kendall holding Spike, and Josh, it looked like it had been taken around Christmas as they all were wearing winter clothes. Next to it was one of Miranda laying on the floor, her head propped up by her little hands, she had a smile on her face like she knew a secret she couldn't wait to share. There was a family portrait of Zach, Kendall and Spike. Another one of Jackson, Reggie, Lily and Greenlee.

The next one stopped Maggie's heart. It was one of her favorite pictures, she was surprised to see Bianca still had it on her desk. It was a picture of the three of them from their vacation to Venice the year before. They were all sitting in a Gondola, Bianca and her were sitting next to each other, one arm around the other, with Miranda sitting between them on both of their laps. Their other arm was wrapped around Miranda, their hands intertwined with Miranda's little hands sitting on top of theirs. The all looked so happy, Maggie's head was resting on Bianca's shoulder, while Bianca rested hers on Maggie's head, Miranda was leaning back, they looked as if they couldn't get close enough to each other. She smiled fondly at the memory of the vacation, it had been such a great carefree time. They were still in their honeymoon phase were they couldn't keep their hands off each other. It was before things started getting overly complicated.

Maggie turned the chair around to face the view outside of the windows. She decided she would wait there for Bianca to return from whatever meeting she was sure to be at.

**Paris – May 13th, 2007 7:34 pm**

_Where are you now?  
As I'm swimming through the stereo  
I conduct a symphony of sound  
Where are you now?  
As I'm cutting through you track by track  
I swear to God this mix could sink the sun  
But it was you I was thinking of_

Maggie threw her backpack down in frustration on her sofa. She'd waited in Bianca's office until after 6 pm. Neither Bianca nor her assistant had ever shown up. She had caught the late bus back to her side of the city. She had briefly thought about going to the penthouse, to see if she was there but Maggie didn't want to create a scene in front of Miranda. 'I'll just have to try tomorrow.' The blonde raked her hands through her hair in frustration. Giving a guilty look at her backpack filled with homework, she thought she should at least try to get some done.

Maggie had just settled down on the couch, Anatomy book propped open on her knees, the ever present music of her media player provided the background noise. Maggie had read the same paragraph at over and over, her thoughts fsar away in another life time, in another home in Paris. There was a knock on the door pulling her out of her memories.

She wondered who it could be. She wasn't expecting anyone. After she had been hounded for weeks by reporters wanting her opinion on Zoë and Bianca's relationship, she had gone out of her way to disappear. Luckily she had a cousin who specialized in that, so Anna had helped her move into a new apartment that wasn't in her name. She had also gotten a new cellphone, again not in her name. She really didn't want to have to tell reports yet again she had no comment. Just hearing their questions burned her very soul, the last thing she wanted to think about was Bianca with anyone, especially with the drama queen she had run into while she was in Pine Valley.

She was tempted to ignore the knocking but whoever the person on the other side of the door was being persistent. Tossing her book on the couch she got up, "Geez, hold your horses, I'm coming." She yelled as she yanked the door open. Her heart dropped and soared all at once.

There standing outside her apartment was Bianca. The opening notes to Nelly Furtado's Try, the acoustic version, floated out into the hallway, surrounding them with her heartfelt voice. Neither girl said a word; they both hungrily took in the other.

The night had turned chilly, the dark haired beauty was wearing a black leather coat that ended mid-thigh. She had on blue jeans and black leather boots that covered her calves, Maggie couldn't stop staring, her brain had yet to catch up with her eyes. She looked like a living dream standing there before Maggie. She'd never understood the saying 'a sight for sore eyes' more than she did at that moment.

"Things fall apart. They fall apart so hard."

"Bianca…?" Maggie took a step back allowing the other woman to walk into her apartment. Maggie couldn't believe that Bianca was here, in her apartment.

She took a couple more steps back, trying not to crowd her unexpected but most welcomed visitor. She found herself half leaning, half sitting against her computer desk, her legs were weak and she wasn't sure she couldn't count on them to support her much longer.

Bianca leaned up against the door frame, giving the blonde a searching, heart broken look. "You can't ever…" Bianca stopped and sighed, "You can't ever put them back the way they were."

"Are you okay?" Maggie didn't know what else to say, Bianca just looked so lost and sad, standing there. She wanted to reach other and hug her love but she knew it wasn't her place anymore. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to withstand the urge to take the other woman in her arms and provide the comfort she had no right to provide.

"I'm sorry, it's just…" Bianca stopped again, collecting her thoughts, letting out another sigh, bigger than the last, "You know, it takes time." She took a few steps into the room closer to Maggie. "You can't just ... say you're sorry, write me a letter, make me a CD…"

"I know." Maggie softly cut her off, knowing what was coming next, all her guilt pouring out in just those two words. She looked down at the floor, afraid to look up into those dark brown eyes she so easily could get lost in, wanted to get lost in.

"There's just so much to work through. Trust has to be built again, on both sides ..."

Maggie struggled, holding back her tears at hearing those words. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, trying to protect herself from the final rejection she knew was coming.

"You have to learn if ... if we're even the same people we were, if you can fit in each other's lives." Bianca gave Maggie another searching look, trying to make eye contact with the blonde.

Maggie continued avoiding her piercing gaze, knowing if she looked into those eyes she would lose all control she had over her tears.

"It's a long... important process, and ... can we just skip it? Can-can you just be kissing me now?"

Maggie looked up, not sure she heard Bianca right. Seeing the hope and love she never thought she would see again in Bianca's dark eyes, Maggie sprang away from the desk into Bianca's waiting arms. Their lips met, as an electric spark flew between them. They kissed each other with months worth of pent up passion, longing and love. They kissed until both their lips were swollen and bruised. Their tongues tasting the others mouth as if they had been deprived of taste for months. Bianca pushed Maggie down onto the couch, never losing the connection between their lips. Maggie pulled Bianca's coat off the taller woman, as Bianca's hands touched the bare skin of Maggie's back. The feeling of Bianca's graceful body against her made Maggie lightheaded. They explored each others bodies, making sure every parts was exactly as they had remembered it.

They made love for hours, first on the couch, until Maggie had pulled them into the bedroom, the whole time never losing some type of contact with the other. The made love with reckless abandonment, giving into the feelings they both had tried so hard to get over for months but were unable to. Everything always came back to the other, to their other half, their soul mate. The sun was making its slow climb over the horizon before they both finally drifted off to sleep in each others arms, exhausted, feeling content and a peace they both had thought they'd lost forever.

**Paris – May 14th, 2007 9:24 am**

_And this is my mixed tape for her  
It's like I wrote every note  
With my own fingers_

For the first time in a long time, Maggie woke up without the blaring sound of the alarm, without dreading the morning. She woke up happy, happier than she had ever been. Keeping her eyes closed, she just relished the feel of the bare skin touching hers, setting every inch of her on fire. She tightened her hold on the woman cuddled into her. She felt feather light kisses on her neck.

"Hey…" a soft, throaty voice said, still thick with sleep. Maggie opened her eyes to find dark pools of brown staring back at her.

"Hey, yourself…" She leaned down, kissing the round red lips. She still couldn't believe she could kiss those wonderful lips again. She softly drew circles on the exposed creamy skin of her once again lover, cradling the younger woman closer to her.

Bianca let out a content sigh, moving in as close as she could to the warmth of Maggie's toned body.

"I can't believe you're here, in my bed… I thought, I mean you never called me after I was sure you had gotten my CD…" Maggie tried to find a way to voice all the thoughts in her head. There was still so much to talk about, so much to figure out.

As of reading the racing thoughts in the blonde's head, Bianca placed a finger over Maggie's still swollen lips. "Shhh, we can talk later, besides, I was looking for you. You're not a very easy woman to find, Ms. Stone."

Maggie placed a kiss on the finger tip covering her lips, "You were…but I left my number on…oh…" Maggie realized that she had changed her number after she had left the letter and CD at the penthouse. "Then how...?"

Bianca looked up, catching her lover's puzzled look. "Let's just say, riding the elevator for over 20 minutes tends to catch security's attention. Thank God, you're not as stealthy as Anna." Bianca laughed, kissing Maggie's pouting lips. "Once they figured out who you were, the head of security followed you home, called me and told me where you were and here we are."

"Wow, you did all that just to find me?" Maggie was impressed and amazed yet again at the woman in her arms.

"Of course, I would have done anything to find you." The plain honesty in Bianca's words touched Maggie, they touched a part of her heart that filled it completely.

"So now what?" She asked hesitantly, not wanting to ruin the moment by pushing more than Bianca was ready for.

"Now we get you packed and back home. Then we can work things out, I know we have a lot to talk about, to get through but we will, together, as a family." Bianca said as she placed small kisses along Maggie's collarbone.

"Are you sure?" Maggie wanted that more than she wanted her next breath but again she wanted to make sure it was what Bianca really wanted.

"I'm sure, I never want to spend my days wondering repeated 'where are you now?' And I happen to know a little girl who is very eager to have her Maggie back." At the mention of the little girl, they both smiled.

"Wait, did you call home? Miranda and Faye have to be worried sick about you!" Maggie sat up, ready to jump out of bed and grab her cellphone.

Bianca laughed, a real, genuine laugh for the first time in the longest time. She pulled Maggie back down, cuddling into her arms once more. "Yes, I called them a couple hours ago, you were passed out drooling…"

"I do not drool…much.' The blonde protested as she hit Bianca with a pillow.

"Hey…wait…is that MY pillow from the penthouse?" She looked up at the now blushing blonde.

"Maybe." She coyly replied, "Hey, you want some coffee?" She giggled at her own joke, realizing Bianca wouldn't get it until she saw her mug.

"Coffee can wait, I'm in the mood for something entirely different right now." Bianca smirk, pulling the short girl into a heated kiss that left them both panting.

"You vixen!" Maggie exclaimed as she felt Bianca's nimble fingers between her legs.

"You wouldn't have it any other way." She breathed heavily against the blonde's neck.

They knew that things weren't completely right yet, it would take time to get back to where they were but they both knew what they wanted. This time they would get it right, they couldn't live any other way. There's a time and place for everything and right now it wasn't the time for talk, their place was in this bed, rediscovering each other all over again.

The End.


End file.
